Talk about leaving it to the last minute!
Arguable the biggest West End opening of the year has come right at the end of it, with Stranger Things: The First Shadow finally opening last night, 14 December 2023, at the Phoenix Theatre in London.
Opening night of Stranger Things on stage
Celebrity guests attending the premiere of Stranger Things: The First Shadow last night included Hugh Jackman, Lily Allen, Joe Locke, Lulu, Jonathan Pryce, James McAvoy, Dominic West, Jennifer Garner, Justin Martin, Ludvig Andersson, Corinna Brown, Emma Corrin, Daniel Dae Kim, Tobie Donovan, Kizzie Edgell, Luther Ford, Richard Gadd, Meg Bellamy, Ed McVey, Ambika Mod, Thomasin McKenzie, Himesh Patel and Micheal Ward.
Also in attendance were Netflix’s big bosses, including Ted Sarandos, and Stranger Things creators and producers including the Duffer Brothers, series co-producer Shawn Levy of 21 Laps, and Stranger Things TV stars David Harbour, Matthew Modine and Cara Buono. Plus the show’s producer Sonia Friedman and director Stephen Daldry, and writer Kate Trefry.
London theatre critics have been writing up their reviews over the last few days, and pretty much everyone went out with their review on the dot of the midnight embargo. Reviews have been stellar, with five and four stars from most of the leading publications.
There are also rumours that this is the first play in a trilogy, and that the show is Broadway bound – read more here.
FIRST NIGHT PHOTOS: Also see red carpet arrivals and celebrity portraits from Getty Images
FIRST NIGHT VIDEOS: See Stranger Things opening night videos from Getty Images
Stranger Things – Opening Night Red Carpet Interviews
Stranger Things Opening Night – Curtain Call
Meet the Cast of Stranger Things on stage
The cast of Stranger Things: The First Shadow mixes some hot new talent with a number of trusted West End (and film) stars.
The cast features Louis McCartney (Game of Thrones) as Henry Creel; Isabella Pappas (Finding Alice) as Joyce Maldonaldo; Oscar Lloyd (The 47th) as James Hopper Jnr; Christopher Buckley (David Copperfield) as Bob Newby; and Ella Karuna Williams (The Equalizer) as Patty Newby.
This Stranger Things stage spin-off also stars Shane Attwooll (Wonder Woman 1984) as Chief Hopper; Christopher Buckley (David Copperfield) as Bob Newby; Michael Jibson (The Essex Serpent; Hamilton) as Victor Creel; Patrick Vaill (Oklahoma!) as Dr Brenner; and Lauren Ward (Dear Evan Hansen) as Virginia Creel; alongside Kemi Awoderu (Sue Anderson), Chase Brown (Lonnie Byers), Ammar Duffus (Charles Sinclair), Gilles Geary (Ted Wheeler), Florence Guy (Karen Childress), Max Harwood (Allen Munson), Matthew Pidgeon (Father Newby), Calum Ross (Walter Henderson) and Maisie Norma Seaton (Claudia Henderson); and an ensemble and swings that include Tricia Adele-Turner, Lauren Arney, Reya-Nyomi Brown, Patricia Castro, Lydia Fraser, Isaac Gryn, Mark Hammersley, Tom Peters, Kingdom Sibanda, Tiana Simone, Danny Sykes and Meesha Turner.
More about Stranger Things on stage
The play is set in Hawkins, Indiana in 1959, and begins with a young Jim Hopper, played by Oscar Lloyd, whose car won’t start. Bob Newby’s (Christopher Buckley) sister Patty refuses to take Jim’s radio show seriously, and Joyce Maldonado just wants to graduate and get the hell out of town! But when new student Henry Creel arrives, Henry’s family finds that a fresh start isn’t easy, and shadows of the past have a very long reach.
Based on the Netflix series Stranger Things created by the Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things: The First Shadow is written by Kate Trefry (Netflix’s Stranger Things), and has an original story by the Duffer Brothers, award-winning writer Jack Thorne (The Motive and the Cue), and Kate Trefry.
The show is co-directed by Stephen Daldry and co-director Justin Martin with set design by Miriam Buether, costume design by Brigitte Reiffenstuel, lighting design by Jon Clark, sound design by Paul Arditti, illusions design by Jamie Harrison & Chris Fisher, video design by 59 Productions, movement direction by Coral Messam, wigs, hair and make-up design by Campbell Young Associates, casting by Charlotte Sutton CDG, international casting consultancy by Jim Carnahan, and Gary Beestone for Gary Beestone Associates is Technical Director.
The show is produced by West End and Broadway impresario Sonia Friedman (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, The Book of Mormon), alongside Daldry, the Duffer Brothers and 21 Laps.
Book tickets to Stranger Things on stage
Stranger Things: The First Shadow is now playing at the Phoenix Theatre and booking to 25 August 2024.
Book tickets to Stranger Things: The First Shadow at the Phoenix Theatre in London
Phoenix Theatre, London
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